How To Get Motivated When You Are Feeling Lazy

Laziness is a state of mind, rather than some innate quality. If you tell yourself that you can’t be fussed with anything today, you really will go through the day without doing anything.

If, however, you grab yourself by your hind tails and say “Yes! I’m going to win today!” you will be amazed at how quickly your mood changes.

But how do we get motivated when we are feeling lazy?

During my late-teens and early twenties, I was one of the laziest people you could ever meet. I got up late, never cooked my own meals, and didn’t have a job until I was 23. I was the epitome of the good-for-nothing student who did the bare minimum.

I’m a lot less lazier these days and more productive, but I do allow myself a few days to just laze around and do nothing. As long as I don’t laze too much, it’s perfectly healthy.

I’ve learned a lot about how to get – and stay – motivated when you’re just not feeling it, and the truth is that it’s actually incredibly simple.

Let’s take a look at 10 ways to get motivated when you’re feeling lazy.

Take A Small Step Forward

Your first step doesn’t need to be a giant leap forward for mankind, and in fact this is where many people go wrong.

The hardest part is getting started. So be kinder to yourself and make your first step small but significant.

For example, do you really need to go for an hour-long jog so that you’ll feel less lazy?

Or could you actually just go for a 5 minute jog?

Ease yourself into things. Don’t make this harder than it actually needs to be.

Ask A Friend To Team Up

If you’ve got a friend who is working on a similar project to you, ask them if they want to collaborate.

In this, you’re making yourself accountable to someone. You won’t want to let them down, and you’ll probably find that you motivate and inspire each other as you go along.

Don’t Overwhelm Yourself

It seems slightly oxymoronic that when we have more stuff to do, we feel less inclined to get up off the sofa.

Yet if we have just one or two tasks? Sure, we’ll get up for those!

It’s important that you don’t burden yourself with a gigantic to-do list that stresses you out and has you scurrying underneath your blanket for cover.

Take your time. Be easy on yourself. Cut down your tasks. Simplify things.

Procrastinate Productively

When we procrastinate are we being lazy? Of course we are. We’re not being productive, and we’re putting off the things we really should be doing.

Procrastination is a difficult mistress that often gets the better of us all. I used to procrastinate endlessly, despite knowing how much harm it was causing my grades and anxiety.

Then, I watched a TEDTalk and hit upon the idea of procrastinating productively.

What this means is that if you are going to watch a YouTube video instead of making a start on your assignment, watch an educational or inspiring or motivating video, such as a ten-minute TEDTalk.

Instead of reading another article about why your cat is plotting to kill you, write a short blog post stuffed with motivating quotes.

Take Naps

Don’t spend four hours of your day trying not to fall asleep on your sofa. Spend thirty minutes actually falling asleep instead and the rest of the time being productive.

Don’t resist a nap – take it. But keep it short, and then get back on track.

Naps are important as they help us to recharge our batteries. Take them.

Eat The Frog

To eat the frog means to take care of the task you’re most dreading early in the morning. Get it out of the way as soon as possible. Kill it. Eat the frog.

Why? Because with that gosh-awful task out of the way, your day all of a sudden doesn’t look too bad!

I find that one of the reasons we get lazy is because the idea of doing something difficult destroys us. So by taking care of your most arduous task as soon as possible, you’re ensuring that rest of you day looks sweet.

Ask Yourself Who You Want To Be

Who do you really want to be? Do you want to be an idler who drifts through life, achieving nothing?

Or do you want to be someone who makes things happen, improves their life, as well as the life of others?

Write down who you want to be and formulate some goals that will help you to become that person.

Be More Organised

One of the reasons we get lazy is because we just don’t know where to make a start.

If you got more organised, you would find it easier to know where to start. A clean work space makes for a clean head space.

Give Yourself Rewards

Everyone needs to be rewarded for accomplishing something. I don’t care if you’re an eight-year-old kid or a middle-aged office worker, everyone needs rewards from time to time. It acts as motivation.

If there is something you’re really not looking forward to doing, why not give yourself something to look forward to when you complete the task?

This could be anything, from a tub of ice cream to a new pair of shoes.

Constantly visualising this reward can be enough to get you out of bed and motivated to take action.

Picture Your Life If You Were Less Lazy

When I was in my early-twenties, my life didn’t exactly look amazing. I was fresh out of university and living in a house with six other people, three of whom I didn’t like. I was behind with the rent, and there was rarely any hot water in the house.

I was so de-motivated and in a jam.

Ever since I stopped being so darn lazy and took action, my life looks a whole lot rosier. Perhaps some people would even be jealous of what I have! (yeah, right!)

Picturing what your life would look like if only you were less lazy and more productive can give you a lot of motivation to do something. You can either stay in the rut you’re in, or you ca have everything you want. The choice is yours.